Excellent read! Kate McGuire has a gift. She can find things that are lost, keys, purses and such. She joins a parapsychology group with her good friend, Venice, to explore her talent. She gets a little more than she bargains for when she's handed an unidentified woman's headband. Touching this object sends Kate into a full blown psychic encounter that has her experiencing the final moments of a woman's life as she is being brutally murdered. The police do not take Kate seriously, but the murderer does. HAUNTING REFRAIN by ELLIS VIDLER has something for everyone in it, suspense, romance and a touch of the paranormal. This was an all around enjoyable read. The character of Venice was such a pleasant surprise. She's an eccentric, quirky older woman that loves the flair of being dramatic. She gave me many laugh out loud moments. I really enjoyed getting to meet and know the character of Kate. She's a strong woman that's been held back by a domineering mother and older husband until she decided to take her life back, leave them in the dust and do what she loves, photography. I also enjoyed learning about Kate's psychic gifts right along with her. They are so new to her, she's not sure what's real and what isn't. It's a really fun and frightening adventure. I must say that I had a very difficult time putting this book down and when it was over, I was actually sad because I enjoyed the characters so much. I hope that Ms. Vidler writes a sequel to HAUNTING REFRAIN so I can continue the adventures of the budding romance with John, Kate's learning experience with her psychic abilities and her interactions with her wonderful friendships. I highly recommend this book to everyone that enjoys a well written suspense, thriller, romance with some very believable paranormal twists.

Haunting Refrain Blurb:Suspense, a little romance, a touch of paranormal . . . Photographer Kate McGuire hopes for a little fun in her life when she joins a parapsychology experiment--visions of murder aren’t part of the plan. Then her eccentric friend Venice, a complication all by herself, leaks the story to a reporter, and Kate’s life turns upside down. The police don’t take her seriously, but the murderer does. Kate’s distrust of the press causes her to clash with the one person who can help her—the skeptical reporter who got her into trouble in the first place. Now it’s up to Kate to find the killer before anyone else dies. Author's Note: This book is a reprint of the 2002 edition published by Silver Dagger Mysteries.

Sandy, thank you so much for the lovely review. I'm so glad you liked it. I loved the characters too. By the time I finished it, I felt they were my best friends. I'm working on one that's not a sequel but it's about Kate's cousin Alex who has a similar gift that leads to trouble.
I really appreciate hearing from you.
Ellis

Ellis & Sandy, thanks for writing and reviewing. It's a genre which has a following! Ellis, since it was from 2002 - did you republish with a new cover and the same older title, or did you change the title, etc.?

Hi, Doctor Barbara. Yes, a new cover but the same title. I didn't know much about Photoshop then (not much more now, so I hired artist Anne Cain to do it. I wanted a really good cover, and I love the ones she does. I used to be an illustrator but it was before computer art. Now I do my own covers, often before the book is finished if I have an idea I like.

Ellis, thanks. I have 8 books and I have done all the covers except for two (although I still picked out their pictures and told the person what I wanted). I like doing my own covers - it's fun and it adds to the creative process. I'm sure they could be even better with a "professional," however I still get a kick out of it!

Ellis, the picture on the cover of A Smile Through a Tear is actually a photo of a friend standing in front of the Grand Canyon that was taken in 2004 (believe it or not). My wife is really good with design effects and was able to make it look very old and beat up. If only we had known to dress him in clothes from the 1920s, right?

Scott, your wife did a good job with aging that photo. I thought it was an old one. I'm gradually learning some things about using Photoshop.

Barbara, I agree about doing your own covers. I'm sure Anne would do much better ones, but I love it and feel that I can make them reflect what I feel about the book.

Best of luck to you both. I'll look at your books this evening. Always fun to see what someone else is doing. Have you seen the cover for JK Rowling's new book? I'd like to know what you think about it.
E

No, Ellis, I haven't seen Rowling's new book. I must confess, I don't follow her. I did while my son was a young teenager and he would read her entire hot of the press release within a day or two. (We would be those people at the bookstore immediately to buy it).

Ellis, my first impression was a surprise. Don't like it at all (but I disliked it a little less after seeing it for a bit). I also immediately thought it looked like something from the 1950's or something (I didn't read the blurb - maybe it goes along with the timeframe).

I guess like Scott said, they Must know what they're doing. They have too much riding on her.

Ellis, my first impression was a surprise. Don't like it at all (but I disliked it a little less after seeing it for a bit). I also immediately thought it looked like something from the 1950's or something (I didn't read the blurb - maybe it goes along with the timeframe).

I guess like Scott said, they Must know what they're doing. They have too much riding on her.

Ellis, I find it interesting that they made an event out of "announcing" the cover for her book. If I had been waiting for it, I probably would be disappointed. I've only read the 1st Harry Potter, so I'm not her #1 fan or anything, but that cover does nothing to draw me in. It looks like an academic text about voting rights or something. But, they must know what they're doing, right?

I don't care for Rowling's cover either, but my guess is the publisher wanted to draw attention to it. By giving it such a plain cover, it's generating comments all over the place by people who probably weren't looking for it. Now they are. It still wouldn't be my choice, but it's a clever way to do it.

I think it could only work for someone of Rowling's stature. If I did it, the few people who saw it would say, "Poor thing, she couldn't afford a cover," and move on to the next book. Not a good thing. :-)

I'm not crazy about the cover either. And I won't assume the publishers know what they're doing. Here's the experience of friends of mine - my mentors, in fact, Michael and Kathleen Gear:

They suggested cover art for one of their books, and the publisher rejected it in favor of cover art done by an illustrator the publisher had hired. The book bearing the professional's cover bombed in sales - so the publisher went with the Gears' original suggestion. Sales took off.

So ... covers can - and do - make a difference, and the publisher doesn't always know best.

P.L., I think you''re right. Covers make a huge difference. Maybe when it's release time, Little Brown will come up with a new cover and say they're responding to the negative comments. Otherwise, I don't know why they'd pick something so bland.